Test-tube rack.



R.'A. BOGLEY.

TEST TUBE RACK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23. 1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

will

, REUBEN A. JBOGLEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TEST-TUBE RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dune twin.

Application filed December 23, 1915. Serial No. 68,388.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN A. BoeLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Test-Tube Racks; and l here by declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof, reference be-- ing had to the accompanying drawings,

which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to devices for hold ing in separated relation a large number of test tubes or glass bottles and the like closely assembled in a rack -or carried so as to occupy very little space and to adapt the individual tubes or bottles to be easily removed and replaced when desired, and more particularly to'test tube racks for use in chemical laboratories.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a simple, efiicierit and inexpensive device of the character referred to, which shall possess great strength and rigidity, and in which numerous test tubes or small glass vials or the like may be conveniently placed and held in separated relation so as to keep them together for convenient handling as a whole or to adapt them to be carried in a body from room to room,or place to place, while the individual tubes or bottles are adapted to be easily removed when desired for use and readily replaced A further object is to provide an improved test tube rack so constructed that thetubes may not be easily upset or allowed to fallout in handling'or when inserting or removing the same from a nhemical bath, and

which will allow any surplus water to drainout when the rack is taken out of the bath, and will also enable the user to see the contents in the bottoms of the bottles while holding the same firmly in place.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the" description.

In said drawings Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a test tuberack embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Referring to said drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to denote corresponding parts in different views, the improved test tube rack, as shown, consists of a series of horizontally disposed perforated plates A, A B, which are secured at opposite ends thereof to upright end-plates C, which may have hand holes 0 therein to vserve as handles for lifting and carrying the rack from place to place as desired. The

plates A and A are each provided with spaced perforations or openings a, preferably arranged in rows extending from end to end of said plates and adapted to receive and hold in slightly separated relation in upright position a series of test tubes or the like, with their bases or bottoms resting in or upon concave depressions b, in the bottom plate B, which depressions are perforated to permit any surplus water to drain off when the rack is taken out of the chemical bath.

Theplates A, A and likewise the plate 13, are formed with pendant marginal flanges a extending longitudinally thereof and with end flanges a", the latter being riveted or bolted to the end plates C as shown; and said end plates are formed with marginal flanges 0, which may extend around the sides and top or upper end, and the ends of the plates A, A and B are secured to the plates C between the side flanges thereon, so that the rack is braced by the flanges in both vertical and horizontal directions, imparting thereto added strength and rigidity and pro viding a very substantial and strong construction for the purposes mentioned. Each of the side and end plates is preferably struck up out of sheet metal, though other material might be used. I thus provide a very substantial structure having upright end-plates and perforated cross-plates-constructed of sheet metal with marginal flanges extending lengthwise and cross-wise thereof to give strength and rigidity, combined with lightness and simplicity, and

adapting the device to be conveniently handled and carried from place to place as desired for use in a chemical laboratory or other place in which such devices may be used. The construction is such that with bottomv part of each tube, and at the same 7 time the tube is held firmly in place and any surplus water is allowed to drain off when the rack is taken out of the chemical bath.

If desired one of the upper plates with tubes and preventing them fromdropping 'out. Marginal flanges are als o preferably formed .on both the sides and ends of the horizontally disposed plates, while the upright plates are preferably formed with marginal flanges extending lengthwise thereof and crosswise at the upper end, although in some cases the end flanges of either set of plates might be dispensed with, though the described construction is preferred and is advantageous in securing the desired rigidity and strength, while the end flanges of the cross-plates are utilizedas a means for securing them to the end-plates. Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

horizontally disposed plates having pendant marginal side and end flanges and vertically disposed end-plates having. vertically dis openings therein to, receive the tubes and the lower horizontal plate having spaced depressions therein in alinement with the openings in the upper plates to provide seats for the bottoms of the tubes; said depressions having drain. openings in their bottoms.

2. A rack for test tubes and the like comprising vertically disposed end-plates having hand openings therein to providesuitable handles and horizontally disposed testtube holding plates having depending marginal side and end flanges and secured at -opposite ends to said end-plates by fastenmgmeansinserted through the end flanges of the horizontal plates; the lower horizontally disposed plate having spaced depressions with outlet'openings therein forming seats for the bottoms of the tubes, and the 1. A test tube rack comprising-a series of upper horizontally disposed plates having spaced openings therein to receive the tubes; said openings being arranged in alinement with said depressions.

3. A rack for test tubes and the like comprising upper and lower horizontally disposed plates having pendant marginal side and end flanges, and upright end plates having inturned horizontally and vertically disposed marginal flanges; the end flanges of the first named plates being secured between the vertically disposed flanges of the end plates; the upper plates having spaced openings therein to receive the tubes and the lower plate having spaced depressions therein to provide seats for the bottoms of the tubes, said openings being arranged in vertical alinement with said depressions, substantially as described.

4. Atest tube holder comprising upright end plates having marginal side and end flanges and horizontally disposed plates 'con necting said end-plate and having depending 'marginal side and end flanges; the horizontally disposed upper plate having spacedopenings therein to receive the tubes and thelower plate having spaced depressionsforming seats for the bottoms of the tubescin vertical alinement with said openings, said seats having drain outlets therein.

5. A testtu-be rack or holder comprising a pair of upright sheet-metal plates having integral vertical marginal side and end flanges and horizontal sheet-metal plates having depending marginal side and end flanges and having their flanged ends secured to said upright plates, the upper horizontal plate having'spaced openings therethrough to receive the test tubes, and the lower plate having depressions therein in vertical alinement with said openings, to form concave seats for the bottoms of the test tubes; said upright plates also having openings therein near their 'upper ends to form handles.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing i as my own, 1 affix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

REUBEN A. BOGLEY.

R. W. WILLIAMS. 

